This invention relates to a detergent composition based on mixtures of nonionic surface-active compounds or tensides having a reduced viscosity at room temperature.
Adducts of ethylene oxide and fatty alcohols possess detergent characteristics and have a wide range of application. These products are not satisfactory, however, since they are difficult to pour at temperatures in the range of from 5.degree. to 20.degree. C., because of their high viscosity. Attempts to reduce the viscosity of the products by dilution with water lead to undesirable gel formation in most cases.
The addition of an anionic surface-active compound to the condensation products of linear fatty alcohols with ethylene oxide in amounts of 1% to 10% by weight has been recommended in the German Published Application DE-OS No. 22 05 337, to avoid these deterimental phenomena. This step has the disadvantage that the characteristics of the nonionic tensides are changed completely by the addition of anionic tensides so that the turbidity points of the ethylene oxide adducts are shifted far into the higher temperatures or disappear completely.